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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27061480">Everybody knows that the captain lied</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/smol_birb_boy/pseuds/smol_birb_boy'>smol_birb_boy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Everybody knows the good guys lost [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Not Beta Read, The Manburg Festival, Villain Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot-centric, Wilburs insane, Will please your redemption arc -</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:21:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,315</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27061480</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/smol_birb_boy/pseuds/smol_birb_boy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Wilbur – “ Tommy murmured eyebrows’ scrunched together. “I don’t agree with you, but – but I trust you. So, if you say that this is what we have to do, I’ll follow you.”</p><p>Wilbur turned away from Tommy and found Tubbos gaze. The boy smiled and gave a small wave when no one was watching. </p><p>“Tommy,“ Wilbur swallowed. “I’m starting to have second thoughts.”</p><p>Or</p><p> Wilbur almost reconsiders.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>None</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Everybody knows the good guys lost [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>161</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Everybody knows that the captain lied</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So,,,how we feelin after the festival, huh?<br/>-<br/>Title from "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wilbur fidgeted with the lapels of his coat. Below him, the Manburg festival was in full swing. People were laughing, joy written across their features as they danced, and played the games Tubbo, Fundy and Karl had set up. Not for the first time, Wilbur felt a jolt of <em> something  </em>flare up in his chest. It was dark and painful but not in the way he had gotten used to this past week. </p><p>It was distracting. </p><p>It made his hands shake and insides turn. </p><p>It made him consider that maybe blowing up L’manburg wasn’t such a good -</p><p>
  <em> No. </em>
</p><p>No, it was. He had been telling Tommy for a week that it was. </p><p>It was their only chance of some semblance of victory. Schlatt wouldn’t give up, he knew this. He knew Schlatt. </p><p>
  <s> (He remembered the smoke filling his lungs and choking him as his only friend, the only other person who could possibly <em>understand, </em>laughed, red eyes blazing brighter than the lava below them.) </s>
</p><p>He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This was not the time nor the place for <em>feelings</em>. Feelings were for fools. Feelings were for Tommy.</p><p>Tubbo hit the button at the dunk tank, cheering at the prize he received as Techno watched, a disinterested smile on his face.</p><p>The feeling in Wilbur’s chest grew tenfold.</p><p>
  <em> “Tommy, are we the bad guys?” </em>
</p><p>Yes, they were. Wilbur knew that they were. That was the whole bloody point.</p><p>“Wilbur,” Tommy whispered from where he was sitting beside him. “Wilbur is this really a good idea?”</p><p>“Tommy, of course it’s a fucking –,“ Wilbur drew in a sharp breath, hesitating. </p><p>He didn’t know.</p><p><em> Fuck.  </em>He didn’t know if this was a good idea. It seemed like a good idea. It was supposed to be a good idea, but Tubbo and Tommy and his stupid feelings were making him doubt it.</p><p>Fundy cheered as he too won a prize.</p><p>“It’s a good idea Tommy. Not just that - it’s our only idea that’s actually worth something.”</p><p>They were all traitors. Traitors and scum and enemies and Wilbur hated them. Even Tubbo and Tommy. They weren’t actually on his side. No one was on his side. They were all just pretending, stringing him along. He was no fool, he knew, he knew dammit. He knew how alone he was. </p><p>
  <s> (He was on an island surrounded by the void. The void which had claimed Peter and Milo and everyone else until he was alone and scared and begging for - )  </s>
</p><p>Tommy put a hand on Wilbur’s shoulder and he flinched. How dare he touch him? He was a traitor. He – he -</p><p>
  <s> (He was his brother.)  </s>
</p><p>“Wilbur – “ Tommy murmured eyebrows’ scrunched together. “I don’t agree with you, but – but I trust you. So, if you say that this is what we have to do, I’ll follow you.”</p><p>Trust him? That’s – No. Tommy was – he must be – lies, those were lies – Wilbur was – no one was with – </p><p>Wilbur turned away from Tommy and found Tubbos gaze. The boy smiled and gave a small wave when no one was watching. </p><p>Wilbur thought of Phill. Phil would have liked Tubbo. </p><p>He missed Phil.</p><p>“Tommy, “Wilbur swallowed. “I’m starting to have second thoughts.”</p><p>-</p><p>Tubbo found them, because of course he did. He had snuck away from the party and climbed on top of the space station and now sat cross-legged on the roof next to Tommy.</p><p>“I don’t know if, “ Wilbur paused. “I don’t know if I want to blow it all up.”</p><p>“Really? Sweet!” Tubbo smiled as he gave a high-five to Tommy.</p><p>Wilbur frowned. “But you – You said that you agree with my plan yesterday.”</p><p>"Well, yeah.” </p><p>A laugh escaped Wilbur’s lips. “You’re just a yes-man aren’t you?”</p><p>“Hey!” Tommy stood up to tower over Wilbur. “How dare you insult Tubbo!”</p><p>“But he is! I go ‘<em>let’s blow up Manburg’</em> and he goes ‘<em>okay</em>’, Schlatt goes ‘<em>go catch Wilbur and Tommy’ </em>and he also goes ‘<em>okay</em>’!”</p><p>It was almost funny how angry Tommy looked after Wilbur’s words.</p><p>Tommy really was completely and utterly unfit to lead. The boy was driven by emotions, by morals and other moronic bullshit Wilbur had discarded long ago.</p><p>What was the point of getting so angry? Tommy wasn’t the one getting insulted.</p><p>“You know what – okay.” He laughed. “Prove you’re not a yes-man! Think for yourself, Tubbo! The fate of Manburg is in your hands! Say the keywords and I blow this place to kingdom come, don’t and Manburg is safe.”</p><p>Wilbur ignores Tubbo’s worried expression and Tommy’s glare.</p><p>
  <s> (What was he doing? He cared about them. Those were his boys. He -) </s>
</p><p>Wilbur leaves the choice up to Tubbo. Gives him the metaphorical trigger and a part of him, the part that is self-aware enough to realize that this is insanity, knows that he’s a coward for doing so.</p><p>He waits patiently for the keywords, which doesn’t come. </p><p>
  <s> (He doesn’t have to do it, thank the sky gods, he doesn’t have to do it.) </s>
</p><p>Then Schlatt asks Tubbo if he’s done, and in his panic Tubbo utters the keywords anyway.</p><p>Wilbur is on his way to the button instantly. </p><p>Then, Schlatt traps Tubbo in his throne and Wilbur’s entire worlds grinds to an abrupt stop.</p><p>He knows.</p><p>Schlatt knows.</p><p>He can’t detonate the place with Tubbo in it. He – </p><p>Tehcno comes up to the stage rocket launcher at the ready and Wilbur’s feet guide him back to the edge of the roof.</p><p>Techno wouldn’t – he wouldn’t kill Tubbo, would he?</p><p>Death was painful. It messed with your brain. Death – Tubbo didn’t deserve death. He was sixteen. Tubbo was sixteen and had already died more than enough.</p><p>Then Techno fired the rocket launcher and Wilbur’s world turned to static.</p><p>Tommy’s screams were white noise and so were Niki’s.</p><p>Niki.</p><p>Niki was screaming something. Schlatt was angry and – No – not her too –</p><p>Wilbur didn’t register standing in front of the president as he shielded Niki. He didn’t notice Tehcno standing beside him, protecting him from – </p><p>Something.</p><p>Everything was white noise. Static and black screens. </p><p>Wilbur was cold. Oh, so cold.</p><p>Then just as it had come, the static was gone and he found himself in Pogtopia, Niki next to him as she peered at him with confusion and worry. She had taken his hand and said something about – gunpowder, was it?</p><p>“Oh, yeah.” He laughed. “I was planning to blow up Manburg.”</p><p>
  <s> (She backs away, eyes wide.) </s>
</p><p>Tommy and Techno are arguing upstairs. Well, more like Tommy’s yelling while Techno stares at him unphased.</p><p>They had trusted the Blood God to not betray them, huh?</p><p>Laughter spills from Wilbur – untamed and mad.</p><p>
  <s> (Niki has tears in her eyes now. She’s inching away from him. Everyone is, everyone except Tehcno.) </s>
</p><p>“I forgive him!” Wilbur exclaims. “I don’t care which side he’s on! As long as he helps me cause chaos!”</p><p>Because, in the end, does it really matter? Everyone’s in it for themselves. He’s alone. He’s been alone since the start.</p><p>
  <s> (“The only way forward is cheating!” Schlatt laughs as he betrays Wilbur.) </s>
</p><p>He eggs on Tommy and Tehnco. </p><p>“Fight! Fight! Fight!” He chants while bouncing on his heels.</p><p>
  <s> (“Down with the revolution boys. It was never meant to be.” Eret smiles as he betrays Wilbur and the rest of L’manburg.) </s>
</p><p>He digs a pit for his brothers to fight in. He watches as Tommy throws the first punch, delighted.</p><p>He had always said that Tommy was too emotional to be president.</p><p>
  <s> (“Wilbur is just the founder and I was born here and nothing else.” Fundy sneers as he betrays Wilbur.) </s>
</p><p>It’s funny how much Tommy is guided by his emotions.</p><p>So, he laughs.</p><p>He laughs until it’s hard to breath and everyone has left him alone.</p><p>He laughs until he wants to cry.</p><p>He laughs because he can’t cry.</p><p>He laughs even though he doesn’t find it funny anymore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope I didn't make Wilbur's thought process too chaotic.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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